Method of filling shoe-bottom cavities.



W. D. BAKER. METHOD OF FILLING SHOE BOTTOM OAVITIES. APQLIOATION FILED NOV 9, 1912.

1,071,857 Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINTHRO]? D. BAKER, OF ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 BOSTON BLACK- ING COMPANY, OF EAST CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD OF FILLING SHOE-BOTTOM GAVITIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

T 0 all whom 2'15 may concern Be it known that I, lVm'rnnor D. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Methods of Filling Shoe-Bottom Cavities, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the provision of shoe bottoms with filling material interposed between the outer and inner soles in order to give the shoe pliability while possessing a comparatively thick tread portion or support for the foot. The filling material is placed in a cavity between the inner sole and the outer sole, the said cavity be ing bounded or surrounded by the welt or the line of stitches securing the parts together. I-Ieretofore, to fill this cavity with a plastic material, it has been the practice to lay or spread a quantity of the material in the cavity before the outer sole is attached to the welt. If this is done with hand tools, the operation or work is slow. Automatic machines have been devised for doing the work, said machines employing a nozzle for delivering a ribbon of the material in plastic condition, but such machines will not shape the ribbon laterally to accurately fill the cavity which is, of course, of varying width. As this work has been done heretofore, whether by hand or automatic machinery, it is necessary to roll or smooth the material out by pressure so that it will be compacted in the cavity. Even then it has been found diflicult to get a uniform distribution of the material.

The object of my present invention is to completely and uniformly fill the cavity of a shoe bottom, without requiring any smoothing or rolling operation.

To this end my invention consists in supplying a cavity in a shoe bottom, after the outer sole has been attached, with the filling material, in such manner that the eavity will be immediately completely and uniformly filled.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken out or in section illustrating a way of carrying out my present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The shoe 12 is shown as mounted upon or carried by a last 13, but it is not absolutely essential to the practice of my invention to till the cavity while the shoe is on the last. The inner sole 14, outer sole 15, welt 16, and the inseam stitches 17 are shown as of the usual form or method of construction, there being a cavity or pocket a between the inner and outer soles. Before the shoe is completed, and while the outer sole is left unattached at the heel, the cavity a forms a pocket which is open at the shank of the shoe but is of course closed by the welt and the inseam stitches along both sides and the opposite or toe end of the shoe. It is while the shoe is in this condition, or substantially so, that I fill the cavity with the plastic or granular material. This may be performed by any apparatus having a suitable nozzle to enter the pocket or cavity (5. Such a nozzle is indicated at 18. In practice this nozzle will preferably lead from a reservoir, suitable forcing means being employed if desired to drive the material through the nozzle and into the cavity or pocket a. Such forcing means will not be necessary if the filling material is dry and in granular form but if of a stifi plastic nature, some forcing means will usually be employed to insure the driving of the material the full length and width of the cavity or pocket. This method of applying the filling material causes it to get into the crevices and to uniformly fill the shoe bottom. Owing to the fact that the filling material is located or applied after the outer sole has been secured in position, the outer sole co-acting with the inner sole and the inner edge of the welt and the edges of the upper and lining secured by the inseam stitches 17, the area to be filled is necessarily defined by these parts of the shoe so that no smoothing out or rolling is necessary, as heretofore, to cause the material to completely till the cavity laterally. Then it is necessary that the filling material shall be decidedly compacted, the usual result can be obtained simply by means of the pressure exerted upon the material being forced through the nozzle 18. i

The tip of the nozzle can be made to quite closely fit the mouth or entrance to the cavity or pocket and still permit air to escape during the forcing in of the mate rial. By so mounting or holding the shoe and the nozzle that they will remain in the relative positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to withstand forcing pressure necessary to completely fill the cavity or pocket and then causing the shoe and the nozzle to be separated by the same pressure when the cavity has been filled, such movement of separation will indicate to the attendant that the cavity is filled. On the other hand, if the tip of the nozzle does not quite completely fit the mouth or entrance to the cavity or pocket, then the exuding of some of the material backwardly along the edges of the nozzle will indicate that the cavity is completely filled.

The accompanying drawings illustrate conventionally a way of carrying out my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself by said drawings as the method is subject to many variations Within the scope of the claims.

I claim 1. The method of supplying the cavity of a shoe bottom with plastic filling material, consisting in forcing said material into the cavity after the outer sole has been partially secured in position.

2. The method of filling a shoe bottom, consisting in forming the shoe with a pocket in its bottom, said pocket being open at one end, and then depositing plastic material in such pocket through its open end.

3.. The method of filling a shoe bottom consisting in forming the shoe with a pocket in its bottom, said pocket being open at one end, and then forcing plastic filling material under pressure into said pocket through its open end. I

4. The method of constructing a shoe, comprising the steps of attaching an outer sole to the welt of the shoe, leaving a portion of said outer sole unattached, and then forcing plastic filling material into the cavity between the inner and outer soles through the opening at the unattached portion.

5. The method of constructing a shoe, comprising the steps of attaching an outer sole to the Welt of the shoe, leaving said outer sole unattached at the heel, and then forcing plastic filling material into the cavity between the inner and outer soles through the opening at the heel.

. In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

W INTHROP D. BAKER.

Witnesses: V

A. W. HARRISON, P. W. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

